The Clock Struck Thirteen
by tigerlily124
Summary: Thrown back in time, Scooby is forced to relive past adventures with ghosts and now he has had enough. It is up to Vincent Van Ghoul to bring our lovable hound back to the gang, but will the images of the past change Scooby's mind or break him? Please R
1. And So It begins

Author's note: I apologize in advance if this story is not good. The whole time I was writing it, I kept smelling bad cheese and I am still not sure if this was the story or a hunk of gouda behind the baseboards. Thanks for reading!

And So It Begins

A howl of rage split the silence followed closely by the sound of running. Scooby Doo and his friends had managed to take the time

scepter from Time Slime – the latest trouble maker of the thirteen ghosts unleashed by Scooby three years ago. Warlock Vincent Van

Ghoul was observing the gang's progress through the crystal ball held by Flim Flam when he saw them abruptly hit a dead end. _Damn _he

thought – this was a problem he had hoped to avoid. There was a possibility that the time scepter could interfere with his transportation of

Scooby and his friends. Despite the potential ramifications of such interference, Van Ghoul did not hesitate; he muttered a quick spell and

held his breath. Shortly, forms began to materialize as his magic summoned them from the caverns of Time Slime. Van Ghoul's eyes

quickly swept the room, but he did not find Scooby. His face knit with worry as he concentrated and found Scooby spiraling back in time

through his past – silently he suggested that the dog turn the time scepter's dial toward the future, knowing that this would bring the dog

back in range of his spells. He waited until Scooby was within a few days of the current time and whispered the spell that would bring him

home. Instantly, the magic took hold and pulled Scooby loose, setting him gently in the room with his friends. The mystic began to breathe

a sigh of relief but his eyes quickly narrowed as he took in the all consuming fear of the dog cowering with his back to the wall

whimpering "No more!" For a moment, Van Ghoul was completely baffled, but soon, a look of recognition entered his eyes and he

cursed softly under his breath. For the span of a few heartbeats, Van Ghoul stared at the abject hound with something close to

compassion in his gaze, and it was then that he realized that the other people in the room were looking to him for answers. Nodding his

acknowledgement of their unasked questions, Van Ghoul commenced his explanation; "As I transported you all from the stronghold of

Time Slime here, the magic of the time scepter interfered with my spell and threw Scooby back in time." He grimaced, "When he turned

the dial so as to move forward through time, he was forced to relive all of his past experiences with monsters." He looked at Scooby's

friends somewhat sadly, "I fear that this will prove to be too much for him to handle". It seemed that Van Ghoul was correct – all of the

soothing words of his friends did not diminish Scooby's fear; abruptly, startling everyone, he dropped the scepter on the floor and bolted,

howling "I quit!" as he ran. Those that remained stared, aghast at all of the implications of that statement. No one could think of anything

to say and so they left without saying a word, each of them wondering how they could possibly replace Scooby. Van Ghoul stood quietly

for a moment longer, his face troubled. He glanced down at the time scepter and then out the way Scooby had run. Already, he had an

idea, but he would give Scooby a few days to come around on his own first.

A few days later, Van Ghoul's crystal ball showed him that the gang (on Flim Flam's suggestion of course) was interviewing candidates

for Scooby's position. Shaggy and Daphne said little, their faces subdued, and Flim-Flam's cocky exuberance seemed somehow

strained. Van Ghoul shook his head and focused the crystal on Scooby; he found the dog whimpering and hiding under his bed. He put

his hand on the crystal, making it darken and then walked decisively from the room, snatching the scepter from where it rested on the

table as he went. He arrived outside of Scooby's house, not wishing his sudden appearance to frighten Scooby further and then he

convinced Mrs. Doo to let him see her son. "Scooby," she called softly, "there's someone here to see you". "I don't want to see

anyone!" Scooby answered, his voice somewhat muffled. Van Ghoul glanced briefly at Mrs. Doo and told her that he believed he could

help Scooby. Mrs. Doo nodded once and left him alone with Scooby (his hiding place revealed by the subtle shaking of the bed skirts).

Van Ghoul stood still for a moment, his face self-deprecatory. '_I should have prevented this_' he told himself angrily and then moved to

sit down in a chair next to the bed. "Scooby," he said with as much gentleness as his rough voice could manage, "I need to show you

something". "No!" came the muffled cry, "I won't come out". Hating himself for doing it, Van Ghoul eased onto the floor, reached out

until his hand touched Scooby's paw, and turned the dial of the scepter to a time ten years into the future.


	2. The first friends

Author's note: Scooby Doo and friends are not mine.

Van Ghoul and his unwilling companion were hurtled into a vortex of fluid time in which familiar faces, oddly distorted called out to them

as they passed. Abruptly, the spinning stopped, the light brightened, and they were left, slightly disoriented, in a time not their own. Van

Ghoul calmly allowed his balance to return as Scooby swayed slightly at his side and then began to move off. "Come," said Van Ghoul,

beckoning over his shoulder as he walked. They walked until they reached a large area, sheltered from the wind, between two large

sloping hills and there they halted. The land in which they found themselves was a barren wasteland. The lack of trees permitted them to

see a vast desolate panorama wherein the scorched rocks huddled against each other as if to evade the merciless heat of the sun. The

destitution of the land was complete – any plant that dared to raise its head was quickly beaten into submission; the vultures screeched

their scorn and went elsewhere in their search for a meal. Scooby looked around, confused, and turned to Van Ghoul, asking silently,

_why did we come here_? Van Ghoul merely raised his hand, signaling the hound to wait. It was not long before the dog became conscious

of a low rumbling hum, reminding him uncomfortably of a large swarm of bees, in the distance. The sound seemed to emanate from

behind one of the rises almost directly to their left – Scooby spun to face it. The noise grew in volume until Scooby could feel the vibration

in his chest, confusing the rhythm of his heart. Shortly, a large group containing around one hundred motorcycles crested the slope, rapidly

approaching the onlookers. In response to his rising fear, Scooby turned to dart away, but Van Ghoul shot him a look which held him in

place. Soon they stood amongst the group as they brought their bikes to a halt. The clothes of the bikers showed the dust and wear of

long travel; the finish of the motorcycles had long since been stripped by the sand of the desert. Every rider carried a rifle slung over his or

her shoulder, the grip worn smooth from frequent use. The overriding feature of the group was a sick horror that clenched every face. For

a long moment, no one moved, each trapped in the reliving of some terrible event. Finally, someone near the front of the group broke the

stasis and, wrenching fingers white with strain from the handlebars of his bike, he strode toward a slight, olive-skinned sentry on the

perimeter of the group, striving with the violence of his stride to keep his grief at bay. He grabbed the younger man and shook him by the

shoulders, "Why!" He shrieked, his voice tearing in his passion. The man caught himself and turned away for a moment. The man's hands

were clenched by his sides and he gnawed his lips in an effort to rein himself in. He forced his hands to relax, shaking with the effort, and

Scooby's eyes moved up to study the man's tortured face. Horrified, Scooby identified Shaggy. Whining deep in his throat, he raced

over and, standing on his hind paws, attempted to touch his friend's face. His raised paw passed through Shaggy and the tormented man

appeared not to notice him. "Rhaggy?" he questioned. Scooby started as he felt a gentle hand touch his shoulder, "I'm sorry Scooby, we

can neither be seen nor heard" Van Ghoul told him quietly, a deep-seated regret in his voice. Shaggy turned back to the other man. "Why

Flim Flam," he repeated softly, his voice like ashes, "why did you let him stay?" "You know Jace" the twenty-year old Flim Flam intoned

miserably. Shaggy closed his eyes and nodded once; everyone in the group knew what Flim Flam meant. Jace was a broad-shouldered

black man, charismatic, with a will of iron. He had never avoided doing something out of simple risk to himself and, as leader of the

group, had often taken the most dangerous jobs himself. When Time Slime had first started to take control, Jace had formed a band of

vigilantes, using his passion and skill with words to spark into flame the ready tinder of their hearts, readying them to resist. For years

now, the group of men and women he had organized had been striking back, picking off members of Time Slime's militia whenever they

had the chance, and taking their supplies of food and munitions for their own use. It was Jace who had called up the courage of the

fearful, Jace who had comforted the injured and those weary of struggle. Always, he seemed able to reach into the moral core of each

person and bring out a capacity for endurance when that individual felt that they could persist no longer. Every man and woman found

themselves remembering their past with Jace; his calming presence as he patiently polished his ebony handled hunting knife before a fight,

the times his strategy and courage had saved them, his easy camaraderie. Now he was gone; fallen while protecting their retreat from the

last skirmish, his small band overwhelmed by the size and strength of Time Slime's soldiers. Every face reflected their terrible loss. Flim

Flam fought not to cry and Shaggy briefly clasped his shoulder before turning to the rest of the group, "We can't stay here," he called out,

"Time Slime's men are looking for us". "We can't – " his voice broke and he struggled with himself for a moment, "we can't let his

sacrifice be for nothing. We have to keep fighting – for Jace". "For Jace" the warriors repeated and together, they remounted their bikes

and rode off, a trail of dust mute testimony to their bravery.


	3. Daphne

Daphne

Van Ghoul gave him a moment and then gently touched Scooby's shoulder and adjusted the scepter to transport them to a different place

where they would see another of Scooby's friends. Power mounted in the staff and the dog and the warlock once more found themselves

spinning through time. The trip was different this time – Scooby caught sight of Daphne, trying to tell him something with a look like

forgiveness in her eyes. The only indication that Van Ghoul had seen this was a slight catch in his breathing, but his eyes revealed a hint of

pain at the thought of the future Scooby was about to witness. Once again, time righted itself with a jolt and Scooby and Van Ghoul found

themselves in a dimly lighted hall. The mystic remained stationary for a moment, allowing time for their eyes to adjust to the darkness and

for Scooby to regain his steadiness and then he led the hound along several passages and past many dark rooms that smelled stale and

unused. Abruptly, Van Ghoul halted as a new sound raised into the air – through the emptiness of the tunnel ahead, a thin, frail voice

quavered, the words swallowed by the darkness before the listeners could make them out. The mystic's heart dropped; the future he had

foreseen was correct. Oh how he had hoped that he was wrong. Gritting his teeth, he led Scooby around the final corner. In the gloom,

an old woman crouched painfully on the floor, occasionally reaching the sponge she scrubbed with into a bucket of soapy water set

against a wall of the passage. As she worked, the onlookers could see that her fingers were terribly gnarled and her knees swollen from a

cruel arthritis which made her movements stiff, clumsy. Her white hair contained yellowish stains suggesting that she once was a redhead

and her ragged clothes concealed the gaunt frame of one who slowly starves. Occasionally, she seemed to hear a noise in one of the halls

or rooms around her and her dull eyes would dart fearfully all around her before she would continue her work. All the while, she sang her

ode to Time Slime in a high pitch that bordered on panic, raising her voice so that it bordered on a shriek any time that she heard or

imagined someone nearby. At times, the voice of her mind would stutter and her song would trail off into the mumbling of nonsense

words. Next to Van Ghoul, Scooby was shaking his head in disbelief, "That's not Daphne" he averred. Van Ghoul answered heavily,

"Yes it is". Scooby swallowed painfully, "How many years has it been since the time we saw Shaggy?" he asked. "None," Van Ghoul

sighed, "Time Slime can warp the fabric of time into whatever form he wishes". Many years after the desertion of Scooby Doo, Time

Slime had discovered the identity of one of the mortals who had taken his time scepter – Daphne Blake. Cunningly, the ghost had waited

until Daphne was alone, away from all help and then he had taken her. She told Time Slime that someone would come to rescue her, but

he told her that if she somehow escaped, he would rip the world apart looking for her and the deaths of those innocent people would be

on her head. When the rescue attempt happened, Daphne met them, free of chains and told them that it was her choice to remain as a

part of Time Slime's army. They had not been convinced and so despairingly, Daphne had done the one thing that she could think of to

make them believe her – she had called for the guards. Van Ghoul's magic was the only thing that prevented her friends from being

captured as well. Shaggy and Flim-Flam did not believe that Daphne would have joined Time Slime of her own free will and Van Ghoul

agreed with them. There was no way to find out what had been done to her – when set to the past, the scepter of time could only show

the past of the person using the staff – and so Daphne's friends were helpless to counteract that wrong. Heartbroken, Shaggy and

Flim-Flam had returned to Jace and his other rebels and Van Ghoul had gone back to his search for a way to bring an end to Time Slime.

Unable to deal with the horror of what she had done to her friends, Daphne had retreated deep into her mind – it was a broken woman

who crouched in front of Scooby and Van Ghoul. Deep sadness etched on his face, Van Ghoul whispered something under his breath.

Daphne's pain seemed to lessen, a slight look of relief briefly lighting her face, smoothing out wrinkles. Van Ghoul turned away and pulled

Scooby around with him, "All right, now you have seen enough to realize just how important you are. Your actions will have great

ramifications in the future." He began resetting the staff to take them home. Scooby turned to stare at Daphne again and then he seemed

to realize something – he turned back to Van Ghoul with a strange look on his face. "What happened to you?" he asked. Van Ghoul

made a dismissive motion with his hand, "It doesn't really matter" he said softly without looking up. Scooby's face showed confusion and

a growing suspicion as he insisted "I want to know". For a moment, the look on Van Ghoul's face was complex, weary and

self-deprecating and then his expression became impassive once more. Scooby once again asserted his demand and after a brief

hesitation, Van Ghoul nodded once and began his preparations for the journey.


	4. The end of the affair

Vincent Van Ghoul finished his preparations for their journey and he planted the staff firmly on the ground. "I had hoped to spare you this" he told Scooby softly. Reaching out to touch the hound's shoulder, he sent them spiraling through time once more – to a time almost three months in the future. As they traveled, Van Ghoul grimaced to himself; he was taking Scooby to a crisis and if this came too soon, the dog might never recover his courage. The warlock was taking Scooby to face Time Slime himself. The vertiginous swirling stopped and Van Ghoul and Scooby looked around.

The future Van Ghoul was there, wearing a ragged black cape and sitting with his back against a tree. He was gazing into a chipped crystal ball. As they arrived, he looked up in their direction and raised an eyebrow – he appeared not to have aged at all, save that he stooped as if the weight of his responsibilities staggered him. Scooby saw that he was looking at his friends using the crystal. Shaggy was now leading Jace's band of vigilantes, but he had a driven aspect. It was clear that he was suffering. His flesh hung limply from his face and arms, giving him a hollow appearance – as though something internal had caved in. The fire that lit his eyes was one of revenge. Occasional flickers of grief revealed that Shaggy's fire would not sustain him for long. Flim Flam was in an even worse state. He hung at the rear of the group, ashamed that he had let Jace die alone. Dark circles under his eyes spoke of sleepless nights and his hands twitched spasmodically. His face voiced more eloquently than any words the pain of his thoughts, _It should have been me. _Van Ghoul turned the crystal to Daphne. She was rummaging through a pile of garbage sitting outside a hall of some kind. Scooby watched as she grabbed a chicken bone with a few scraps of meat from the pile. Daphne limped away as quickly as she was able and put her back into a corner. She attacked the chicken ravenously, but her eyes remained alert, fearful. Van Ghoul put his hand on the crystal, willed it dark, and wearily tented his hand over his forehead, massaging his temples. Abruptly he stood, leaving the crystal ball on the ground. He paced mechanically for a moment or two and appeared to reach a decision. He picked up the time scepter from where it rested against the tree, spoke a quick spell, and disappeared. The Van Ghoul next to Scooby grabbed his shoulder and followed.

The place in which they found themselves was a large, roughly hewn cave, the cheerless light seemingly emanating from all points at once. Clearly, this chamber was a throne room of sorts though there was little to ornament it. The travelers found themselves amidst a flurry of activity. Within the frenzied movement was an eerie center of calm, the eye of the storm, and there a high backed chair, curiously wrought in the likeness of a grandfather clock sat upon a dais. Occasionally, a hand could be seen gesturing imperiously through the moiling servants and one of them would move into the empty space surrounding the throne. Those who went into the circle looked oddly like horses caught in a thunderstorm, the whites of their eyes showing, every muscle taught as they struggled not to bolt. Scooby looked to Van Ghoul for an answer and saw that he had a look of sickened horror on his face; he turned back and began to watch the unfortunate servants more closely. A strange distortion like rising heat hung in the air between the core of inactivity and the onlookers. Slaves who crossed that boundary seemed to become inexplicably exhausted in the matter of a few seconds, stumbling as they walked and mumbling stupidly their praise to the figure in the chair. The cause was obvious – every person who breached the boundary experienced horrifically accelerated aging, with a mere moment adding ten years to the miserable thrall's face. Throughout each transformation, the sadist ensconced in the center of his web stroked what could only be a second staff of time and rocked with mirth, laughing his high and terrible laugh. Howling his mirth, Time Slime beckoned again, summoning a doddering old man – he wanted the floor at his feet scrubbed. The milling people in the hall went on accomplishing the mindless tasks assigned them, averting their eyes; they knew that he would not survive this trip into the penumbra surrounding the specter. A bucket filled with soapy water and a tattered rag forced themselves into his hands, those who brought them not even making eye contact before rushing off. Trembling, knowing that others would force him into the circle to avoid daring it themselves, he shuffled forward.

White with fury, the future Van Ghoul stepped out of the shadows and said in a strangled voice, "_ENOUGH_!". Everyone froze and turned toward the disturbance and he used the period of startled inaction to hurl a curse at Time Slime's scepter. His magic splintered the staff and the strange boundary rent like a shroud and blew away. As this occurred, Van Ghoul took up the second time scepter and dashed it against the unforgiving stone floor, shattering it as well, "Now you are mortal and may be killed" he told Time Slime. The ghost lifted a hand and inspected it, discovering that he indeed had corporeal form. He shrieked in rage, but to those who looked closely, there was a light of uncertainty in his eyes; Van Ghoul did not miss this and his expression gained an aspect of mocking satisfaction. "You feel it slipping away don't you – your control of the situation?" Van Ghoul crossed his arms, his lips quirked into a sardonic half smile as he continued to insult his foe, "You are weak – the only time you feel secure is when you have absolute control over the lives of everyone around you. The loss of that power makes you rather frightened doesn't it?" Clearly, Van Ghoul was trying to goad the ghost into a false move – his words and expression were carefully gauged to inflame him and at the same time, he watched Time Slime intently, his eyes calculating. All that he felt was a brief surge of energy from the other end of the cave – just enough warning for him to set his defenses. The murderous power arrowed for him, but he made a sweeping gesture, and deflected the attack into the cavern floor, leaving a scorched black mark.

Van Ghoul realized instinctively that while he might possess the greater power, he was at a disadvantage. The scope of the magic which he could use was limited due to his unwillingness to chance harming any of the people gathered behind Time Slime. A wide field spell (difficult to block against but arguably less powerful) would have proved useful – it could be used to knock your opponent off balance, force them to set up a defensive shield all around themselves which would be weaker to a concentrated attack. A narrowly focused spell with enough power if cast at the right angle would pass right through the opponent's protections; indeed, many duels had been won in such a manner in the past. Van Ghoul shook his head negatively, he couldn't use the broad range spell necessary to set up such a win – but Time Slime didn't care about collateral damage. The space behind the warlock was filled with people. Van Ghoul cursed softly – he was not sure if he was strong enough to adequately shield both himself and the fifteen or so which he calculated to be in range of Time Slime's power and he did not want to find out. He read the intent in his enemy's eyes, clenched his hands near his body, and then wrenched them apart, sending out a shock of power which swept those standing around him up against the walls of the chamber.

Time Slime's spell moved toward Van Ghoul, looking like a rolling curtain, billowing strangely in a foul wind. The warlock lifted his hands, fingers spread and quickly moved them in a semicircle around himself, barking a strange word as he did so, "_lith!_" His spell caught and froze the space around him and the malevolent magic bent off to each side. Time Slime hurled his second, precisely honed curse, but it stopped three feet in front of Van Ghoul and clattered to the ground just as if the air around him were solid stone. The warlock dropped his hands and gazed steadily at his furious enemy. Van Ghoul was untouched; only Scooby could tell that he breathed slightly harder than before by the suppressed rise and fall of his shoulders. Van Ghoul set a second shield in place and looked thoughtfully at Time Slime, running through his options, gauging probability of success against cost in power. The ghost was also searching for his next move, but before he found it, Van Ghoul removed his amulet and clasped it in his hands, holding it level with his heart. He shot a challenging look at Time Slime and began to chant.

Already, the power surrounding him was massive and the warlock's face was beginning to show strain, his jaw was clenched, his eyes closed. Increasing the magic's strength further, Van Ghoul began to delicately tune the spell, lowering its pitch and frequency until it resonated exactly with his enemy's life force; only one thing remained – he reached into his cloak for the small dagger he kept.

Time Slime looked on, fear echoing clearly in the caverns of his eyes, once cast, there would be no evading this curse. He saw the warlock bring out a dagger and this gave him an idea. Throwing a spell at Van Ghoul would be pointless as the shield around him would interfere; however, it would not block a physical object. It was an odd fact of sorcery that to influence something "real" a spell had to be specifically crafted for that object. Time Slime reached for his own knife – a knife with an ebony handle and worn inscription: _To my son Jace_. Time Slime unsheathed the blade and prepared to throw; he liked his chances. If Van Ghoul were taken unaware, he could be killed. If the knife hit the amulet in Van Ghoul's hands, the stress from the power being channeled through it combined with the shock of a direct hit would fracture the stone, and the spell would quickly lose power. If Van Ghoul saw the blade coming, he would be forced to drop his incantation before it was ready in order to defend himself and, unattended, the magic would dissipate. Should the warlock's attempt fail, he would be too exhausted to try again and would be forced to withdraw or face the slow certainty of death as Time Slime chipped away at his remaining strength.

Van Ghoul closed his free hand over the blade of the dirk but before he made another move, some sixth sense caused him to look up in time to see the specter release his weapon. Grinning, Time Slime waited to see what Van Ghoul would do. Grimly,

he moved the amulet out of harm's way and braced himself. At the moment of impact, the light of the gem in the amulet briefly dimmed. Swaying slightly, Van Ghoul removed the knife from where it protruded, low in his chest, and blinked at the blood that covered it and his hand. Dropping the knife, he raised his hand palm outward, showing the blood coating it to the now terrified Time Slime. Slowly, deliberately, Van Ghoul placed his bloody hand on the gem of the amulet and whispered the final word of his spell. Crushing power pursued and enveloped the fleeing specter and a hot white flash blinded everyone in the cavern.

Little could be seen through the afterimage burned in everyone's eyes, but several people imagined they saw a figure in black stagger forward a couple of steps, nod wearily to itself, and then crumple to the ground. For a long moment after vision returned, those standing in the hall remained motionless, staring at the dark form lying on its side, and at the charred green robe lying emptily twenty feet away from it. Finally the stasis broke and en masse the ex slaves of Time Slime bolted for the door.

From amidst the pandemonium, an old woman came timidly forward. There was something mouse-like about her in her fear, the way she held herself – and in the dim reminder of red in her hair. She knelt painfully next to Van Ghoul and felt his neck for a pulse. A long moment passed before she removed her fingers. She placed a gnarled hand gently on his brow and whispered softly, "Thank you" and then she stood and, squaring her shoulders defiantly, she walked from the hall.

Van Ghoul was staring blankly into the distance, his face inscrutable. With an effort, he shook himself and turned to Scooby. He was dismayed to find that the hound was huddled on the floor, tail between his legs, and making low whining noises deep in his throat. Van Ghoul's expression became one of self-condemnation and he mentally berated himself for permitting Scooby to be exposed so soon to another ghost. Sighing softly, the warlock bent and placed a hand on the Great Dane's shoulder. Obviously, Scooby had forgotten his presence, for when the dog felt the light touch on his shoulder he yelped in fear and cringed away, looking wildly for the source of this new terror. Immediately, Scooby's whole aspect changed from fear to shock. The next instant found him ecstatically throwing his front paws around Van Ghoul and burying his face in his chest. The mystic was stunned, his face slack with amazement. He had attributed Scooby's distress to the simple fear of Time Slime. Deep within himself, he believed that he was unworthy of friends, believed that he had none, but this reaction was proof to the contrary – Van Ghoul had friends. With an effort, he managed to reach around Scooby and set the scepter to take them home.

As they arrived in their proper time, he could sense the path to the dark future they had just visited wrenching aside. _The spirits did it all in one night_, he thought wryly. Things would begin returning to normal. Very soon, Scooby would be back to his old tricks: eating anything remotely edible, staying up late with Shaggy to read comic books, and occasionally capturing one of the remaining thirteen ghosts. After a few minutes, Van Ghoul sent Scooby to talk to the rest of the gang, gruffly instructing him to avoid trouble. The warlock allowed himself a crooked smile; he knew that like the cart following the horse, trouble and Scooby were never far apart. Still smiling, he settled himself next to his crystal ball to wait.


End file.
